title: Methyl sulfone manifests anticancer activity in a metastatic murine breast cancer cell line and in human breast cancer tissue--part I: murine 4T1 (66cl-4) cell line.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The spread of cancer (metastasis) is usually associated with death. We have identified a new approach that may be useful for treating metastatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here we studied the murine breast cancer cell line 66cl-4, because these cells are highly aggressive, potent inducers of metastasis and estrogen receptor negative.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that 200 mM methyl sulfone did not induce apoptosis in cancerous cells but instead decreased cell proliferation and DNA synthesis, inhibited migration of cells through an extracellular matrix and induced contact inhibition and anchorage-dependent growth. Methyl sulfone promoted proper wound healing, reversed the epithelial to mesenchymal transition associated with metastatic disease and increased expression of α-smooth muscle actin, a differentiation protein of breast myoepithelial cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Methyl sulfone did not kill the cancer cells but instead decreased metastatic phenotypes and increased normal differentiated phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA. caron@nso1.uchc.edu
authors.forename: Joan McIntyre
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Caron
authors.forename: Marissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bannon
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rosshirt
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: O'Donovan
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000633:toxicity*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000187:drug effects; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D013450:Sulfones / Q000633:toxicity*; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015820:Cadherins; D013450:Sulfones; C544013:alpha-smooth muscle actin, mouse; C025910:dimethyl sulfone; D004121:Dimethyl Sulfoxide